Pho Boy - Edmonton

Most Vietnamese restaurants I have been don't come close to how tasty the pho is here. I was never a big pho fan till now. I would definitely come back again so... read more Most Vietnamese restaurants I have been don't come close to how tasty the pho is here. I was never a big pho fan till now. I would definitely come back again soon.

Checked this place out because we had a groupon. We got in, no greeting. No idea if it was seat yourself. Had to ask twice. However, they were friendly and seat... read more Checked this place out because we had a groupon. We got in, no greeting. No idea if it was seat yourself. Had to ask twice. However, they were friendly and seated us pretty quickly after us asking. They seemed understaffed.We got the Legend Rolls, Banh Khot and green onion cake. You can't find legend rolls anywhere else in Edmonton. My sister, who has been to Vietnam said the Legend Rolls tasted exactly like authentic Vietnamese rolls, plating was also similar style to Vietnam. We also shared the Dragon pho and hero vermicelli. Decent portions, but you can find better pho and better vermicelli elsewhere if you know where to look. Appetizers were the highlight of the meal! The wait time, however, was a huge factor that took away from the food. We waited so long that the shrimp chips they serve at the beginning of a visit were gone and my sister had forgotten what had even been in the bowl.

I drove pass this restaurant several times and didn’t think much of it. My wife and I walked around the area last weekend and I was drawn to the place because I... read more I drove pass this restaurant several times and didn’t think much of it. My wife and I walked around the area last weekend and I was drawn to the place because I saw the arcade machine sitting in the corner. We weren’t expecting much from this restaurant when entering it thinking that it’s another run of the mill “Vietnamese cuisine”.In the last five years, Edmonton has seen a surge in Vietnamese cuisine restaurants that made claims of being the best. I tried a lot of them and was disappointed by their failure to deliver on quality, taste, and value – Pho Boy is NOT one of these failures. I ordered the “Pho Boy Dragon Special” (gluten free) while my wife ordered the “Pho You - Build Your Own Pho” (gluten free); these are the highlights we got from our experience:QualityThe Vietnamese restaurants in Edmonton typically give you a large heaping of pho while skimming on the meat and vegetables. This was not the case in Pho Boy. Despite the both of us ordering jumbo size bowls ($15 for the Dragon bowl and $13 for the Build Your Own), the portions of meat and noodles were well balanced. The meat flanks in both our dishes were fresh, tender, and well marinated – I had experiences where the meat given in a pho bowl becomes chewy after you submerse it in the broth, indicating that the meat is not fresh or is from frozen – this definitely was not the case.The Dragon meatball in my dish was made on site and is a highlight of my dish. The various ingredients and spices were easily distinguished when you bite into it and this in itself is worth coming back for more. The crowning jewel in our bowls, however, were the beef tendon chunks – it was so soft (almost gelatinous) and flavorful from its absorbing the broth that it practically melted in our mouths when we chewed on them. The other restaurants, too, have done beef tendon properly, but not to this caliber.TasteOverall, the dishes we ordered were very tasty – but this is a reflection in the quality of the ingredients used in the food – the Dragon meatball and the beef tendon are obviously the highlight of the dishes, but the beef broth itself was done so it is not overwhelming salty that you need to wash the soup down with pitchers of water afterwards.The broth is there to enhance and tie together the taste of the pho, meat and vegetables - it is not meant to be the star of the dish like many other restaurants do with their offerings. My wife is very averse to anything too salty and this soup definitely got her approval – in my mind, the taste in our bowls really sets Pho Boy apart.ValueThe amount of food we each had in our bowls was about one liter’s worth of contents for $13 and $15 (before GST), respectively – that's a lot of food when it comes to eating out. Aside from the pho, meat, and broth, there were also chicken bits, cilantro, and bean sprouts that accented our meals. While this is a common offering in the Vietnamese restaurants, the sheer amount, taste, and quality in the food makes this a worthwhile expenditure – and then there’s the service.One of the owners (Christina) made an effort to approach the customers to ask them about their experience and food while we were there. Edmonton has a reputation for not having the best customer service as a whole, but I’m glad Pho Boy is also an outlier in this regard. If you have an urge to eat out and feel like having pho, you need to go to Pho Boy.

I really enjoy the vegan pho and pho sate veggie spring rolls at this restaurant. The flavors are fantastic and the vegan pho is filled with a variety of vegeta... read more I really enjoy the vegan pho and pho sate veggie spring rolls at this restaurant. The flavors are fantastic and the vegan pho is filled with a variety of vegetables such as broccoli, daikon, carrot, onion, mushrooms, and tofu, topped with bean sprouts and basil. I eat pho regularly and this restaurant offers the largest portion and the most vegetables in their vegan pho compared to others. They also give a generous amount of tofu. The veggie spring rolls are gluten-free and vegan, and they are delicious. Overall, I am a satisfied customer and will continue to enjoy the offerings at Pho Boy.

There are a few vegan options available, but overall, the Pho was bland and tasted like plain vegetable broth with noodles. For a better vegan Pho experience, I... read more There are a few vegan options available, but overall, the Pho was bland and tasted like plain vegetable broth with noodles. For a better vegan Pho experience, I would suggest trying Dang Good instead.